Daring maneuver

By Don Shilling

Knievel Cycles

Knievel Motorcycle Manufacturing, a maker of custom motorcycles sold worldwide, makes its jump to Hermitage

1111Knievel Motorcycle Manufacturing has started making high-end bikes that carry the name of the late motorcycle jumper Evel Knievel and his son, Robbie.

Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly is one of those who has noticed. He recently ordered a chopper that’s painted in his former team’s royal blue. His Hall of Fame logo is painted on the top and etched into wheels.

On the back of the $37,000 bike is the Knievel Cycles logo.

It’s that logo that lends credibility to the new company at 1565 Broadway Ave., said Bob McCollum, chief operating officer.

“Our optimism is in the name. The Knievel name is the most widely known name on two wheels,” McCollum said.

He joined with other investors, including Robbie Knievel, to start the company in February. Evel Knievel died in November.

In recent years, the 46-year-old son of the daredevil has continued jumping and has been active in marketing the Knievel brand through a cable TV show, apparel and even “Evel Hot Sauce.”

Part of the brand expansion was a custom motorcycle operation in New Jersey that was making bikes for celebrities. That operation now has beenmoved to Hermitage and been expanded to include production of motorcycles for a network of dealers.

Knievel has the name, and McCollum said his team has the manufacturing know-how.

“With the Knievel name, we’re able to attract attention and create an exclusive niche,” McCollum said.

That niche is high-end bikes that are sought by people who are looking for something different. The retail costs range from $24,000 to $60,000.

“There’s a lot of Harleys on the road. If you want to be unique, you can have a Knievel. That’s the appeal,” McCollum said.

McCollum’s connection with the Knievels started last year through his work as chief operating officer of another local motorcycle maker, Hardbikes. That company was launched in Brookfield in 2005 by local businessman Gene Kirila and others, but later moved to Hermitage.

Hardbikes had signed a deal to make Knievel motorcycles, but the local company closed in January. McCollum said none of the Hardbikes investors besides him are involved with Knievel Motorcycle Manufacturing.

McCollum didn’t want to talk about Hardbikes’ demise, but said he thinks the new company will succeed because it has lower operating costs and is starting out with the marketing power of the Knievel name.

He predicts the company will produce more than 1,000 motorcycles next year. The company employs eight, but he expects that to grow.

McCollum knows the growth won’t come easily, however. The custom motorcycle market was hot when Hardbikes was founded, but has dropped significantly as the national economy has slowed, he said.

For now, Knievel’s biggest markets are overseas. In the past few weeks, the company has signed deals with distributors in South Korea, Singapore and Germany.

“There is a huge demand for American products, and Knievel is seen as the All-American daredevil,” McCollum said.

Knievel Cycles are assembled in the Hermitage shop using parts that are made at American suppliers. Evel Knievel had insisted on an all-American bike, McCollum said. The engines, for example, are supplied by S&S Cycle in Wisconsin.

The distributors have agreed to buy certain monthly quantities of motorcycles, which will be shipped overseas and then sold to dealers.

Bart McConley, president of Knievel Cycles, is working on developing a network of dealers in this country. The company has several domestic dealers and recently reached an agreement with the dealership network for Boss Hoss Cycles, which are known for being powered by Chevrolet V-8 engines.

Knievel Cycles is banking on its flexibility to help it find a place in the market.

It has the ability to produce one-of-a-kind bikes like Kelly’s. Another motorcycle in the shop is headed to John Paul DeJoria, the founder of hair products maker Paul Mitchell. The body is made out of brass with rivets protruding at the joints, while the seat cover is made out of stingray hide.

Despite this work for celebrities, most of the company’s work is what it calls “production custom.” It provides buyers with a number of models to choose from with various features that can be customized, such as paint jobs and wheel styles.

“It’s a toy,” McCollum said. “It’s a discretionary product. It’s the same type of purchase as a luxury boat or sports car.”

shilling@vindy.com